


Priorities

by Zoejoy24



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [10]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Male-Female Friendship, Minor Injuries, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:27:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24512278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoejoy24/pseuds/Zoejoy24
Summary: Chasing down a suspect is never fun.  Chasing an armed suspect through the streets of NYC even less so.  But Major Crimes has been after this particular monster for far too long for Dani to give up the chase now, even if she gets a little scratched up along the way.  It's just a bruise, after all.Written for my Bad Things Happens Bingo SquareDoesn't Realize they've Been Injured.
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1610707
Comments: 8
Kudos: 38
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	Priorities

**Author's Note:**

> This story makes Bingo on my BTHB card! I can't believe how many of these I've written so far! Haven't decided yet if I'm going to get a new one or keep working on the same one I have. But, I definitely will be writing more whumpy goodness in the future still!

Foot chases through the busy streets of New York City are never good, and happen far too frequently for Dani’s liking. Even removed from the city’s epicenter as they are, where the sidewalks aren’t quite so crowded, the traffic not quite so constant, it’s still a worse-case scenario. Especially since their suspect has a gun. He’s firing off shots at random intervals in random directions, arm flailing as he runs. He’s trying to delay his pursuers, but mostly he’s just causing panic and potentially adding to his already too high number of victims.

Malcolm is following closely behind her, refusing to be left behind as usual. JT and Gil had split off to go around the block and attempt to cut their suspect off a few streets down. They’ve got a few patrol cars coming in to provide backup as well. Major Crimes has been hunting this guy for well over a week—they aren’t going to lose him now. 

Dani is gaining on him steadily. She’s not really a runner, but she puts in the miles at the gym each week for exactly this sort of situation. He turns again, firing off a few shots, actually pointing the gun in her direction this time, and she swerves, slamming into the coarse brick wall of the building next to her. Pain shoots up and down her body as she hits the wall hard and scrapes her hip and side across the rough surface, jagged enough that she can feel it scratch her through her shirt. She doesn’t slow down though, practically bouncing off the wall, the impact barely even breaking her stride.

“Dani!” Malcolm calls out in concern behind her, but she ignores it. She’s fine, and she’s  _ close _ .

The man curses when he sees she’s still chasing him, and turns sharply, bursting through a door into one of the shops lining the road. Dani curses, digging deep to put on an extra burst of speed, praying he doesn’t try to take a hostage or barricade himself inside and escalate this situation any further. Her side burns with the effort, but she ignores it. She must have hit the building harder then she’d realized. Her hip will likely bruise, but it won’t be the first or last time she goes home black and blue.

She slows slightly as she approaches the door, and briefly considers waiting for back-up—but back up from who? No one is close, and she refuses to lose this guy. She sees that the doorframe is splintered, which means the door was locked when he forced his way in, which means the store is likely empty. At least she has that going for her. She kicks the door open, gun raised, and clears the area she can see before stepping in further, checking her right side first, then turning to check the left.

She’s not fast enough. Someone slams into her and the low grade ache in her side explodes into a bright burst of pain that steals the breath from her lungs and makes her vision go white. The force sends her stumbling, nearly falling, but she catches herself on a merchandise rack. She keeps hold of her gun but loses her aim, and the suspect has his gun pointed square at her before she can bring her’s back up. She’s struggling to stand up straight and to catch her breath, waiting helplessly for the murderer to make his move. 

He smirks at her, eyes falling to where she’s hugging her arm against her side instinctively.

“Persistent little bitch. I knew I got you,” he growls, and she doesn’t understand what he means, but the way he cocks his gun and points it directly at her is pretty self-explanatory. “Betcha can’t dodge this one,” he taunts.

Dani sucks in a breath, brain stalling as panic courses through her as she waits for the shot to come.

Then, the shop door bursts open once more, and Bright barrels in, reckless as always and full speed ahead, running straight into the suspect and sending them both skidding to the floor. Dani has her gun up in an instant, though any shot she may have is blocked by Bright. The suspect kicks out at Bright, catching him hard in the stomach and sending him sliding back across the linoleum tile with a grunt.

“Stop or I’ll shoot!” Dani calls out, finally able to get a clear line of fire.

He doesn’t listen. He’s on his feet and running in the blink of an eye, staying low and knocking over cases and racks as he goes, blocking her shot once more.

“Damn it!” she cries out, searching for a clear path to follow him by. Stars are still dancing in front of her eyes, making it hard to find a route, and she watches in frustration as the suspect sprints through the store towards the back even as she pushes herself off the rack with a groan and prepares to give chase once more.

Bright scrambles to his feet, looking at her with wide eyes, mouth gaping.

“Dani! Are you alright?” he gasps, clearly shaken.

“I’m fine. He’s getting away, let’s go,” she barks out, gesturing towards the back. 

“Uh, Dani. I think you need to stop,” Bright argues. He’s pale, and his gaze keeps falling to her side before he catches himself and snaps his eyes up to her face. “You’re hurt.”

Dani scoffs. She takes a step and nearly stumbles, legs shaky from the close call and the long chase. She starts to make her way towards the back of the store, hissing as the movement sends pain spiking through her side. It’s hard to get going again after stopping, but she pushes the pain away, resisting the urge to hold her side. “I’m fine Bright, it’s just a little scrape, some bruises. I’m not letting this guy get away.” There’s a crash of boxes from the back, and then the emergency fire alarm goes off. Dani curses. He must have gone out the back door. “Shit. Bright, either come with or stay back, but I’m going to get this guy.”

“Dani!” Malcolm yells, reaching out to grab her arm and pull her around to face him. “You’re  _ hurt _ .” he insists once more. He drops his hand and settles it on her side, barely even touching but it sends another spark of pain shooting through her. He pulls his hand back and lifts it and she sees with shock that his palm is coated in blood.

“I’m calling an ambulance,” Malcolm says, hand shaking as he pulls his phone from his pocket with his non-blood stained hand.

“No!” Dani gasps. She looks down to see that her shirt is stained with blood as well, and that it’s seeping into the waistband of her pants.  _ What the hell? _

“Dani! I’m pretty sure he shot you!” Malcolm exclaims, voice breaking on the word  _ shot _ .

“Call Gil. Tell him where the suspect went. He and JT should still be able to cut him off. Then the bus,” she insists. 

Malcolm looks at her in shock for a brief moment before shaking his head in exasperation. He dials and brings the phone to his ear and Dani waits to hear whether he’d listened or not.

“Gil. He went through a building,” Malcolm says, and Dani sighs in relief. Which hurts.

She sags, the sudden knowledge of the extent of her injury rushing over her and nearly sending her to the floor. She catches herself on a nearby shelf, trying to take deep, calming breaths as the pain in her side intensifies tenfold now that she’s actively aware of it.

“How did I not realize?” she mutters, hand going to her side, coming back just as bloodied as Bright’s.

Bright hangs up and calls for a bus. Dani doesn’t really listen. She holsters her gun, confident that the suspect isn’t returning, and leans more heavily against the shelves as she tugs at her shirt, trying to get a look at the damage.

It  _ burns _ . She hisses in pain as she pulls the fabric away, vision swimming once more as her abused body protests even the smallest of touches along the bullet wound. She doesn’t realize she’s swaying until Bright reaches out to catch her, and helps her to sit, then lay down. He strips of his suit coat and bunches it under her head.  _ Always such a gentleman, _ she muses. He kneels next to her.

“Jesus, Dani. I can’t believe you kept going after him,” Malcolm breathes. “May I?” he asks, gesturing towards her side.

She nods, exhaustion crashing over her in a wave as the adrenaline of the chase fades, leaving her feeling every ache and injury. Her feet hurt, her leg muscles burning, her throat is dry and her lungs sore from all the heavy breathing. And her side is throbbing, a sharp, steady pulse of pain that surges through her whole body with each, rapid beat of her heart.

She tries to look down at the injury as Malcolm gently pulls the fabric back and prods carefully at the skin, but the angle isn’t great, and the area is covered in blood anyways, hiding the true extent of whatever damage the bullet may have caused. Malcolm is frowning, his right hand shaking almost as badly as she’s ever seen it shake before as it hovers above her stomach. But he doesn’t look too worried, and he isn’t moving with any sense of urgency, just with care. And while she’s been bleeding for a while now, it isn’t gushing. Running probably didn’t help slow the flow any, but she doesn’t think she’ll bleed to death.

“Bus is on it’s way, but it’s delayed,” Malcolm murmurs softly, glancing up to meet her eyes as he speaks. “A civilian got hit, nothing life-threatening, but they have to send out a different team from further away. They said 20 minutes, give or take.”

“Is that…will I make it?” Dani asks, gesturing weakly with one hand at her injured side.

“Yeah, I think so,” Malcolm assures her with a soft, confident smile like he so often does. Always ready with an answer, a solution, a theory. “I might have to do a little looting. Think you can let me go with a warning this time, Detective?” he teases.

“I’ll have them send you the bill, call it even,” she grunts back. She doesn’t mind his teasing, but it’s too much effort to really joke back, even to smile. Her eyes start to slip shut, and she’s surprised by how comfortable of a pillow Bright’s jacket makes.

“Hang on, Dani. Don’t go to sleep on me just yet,” Bright urges, shaking her shoulder slightly. 

She rouses, forcing her eyes open once more, expecting to see Bright by her side, but he’s nowhere in sight.

“Bright?” she calls out, a sudden, inexplicable rush of panic spiking in her chest as she finds herself so unexpectedly alone. Had she passed out for longer than she thought? Had he gone to get supplies? Had the killer come back? “Malcolm?” she calls out again, louder, more desperate, rolling to her good side to get a better look around the store.

“Hey, hey, I’m here,” he says, appearing from behind a shelf. He has two water bottles in one hand and a scarf in the other. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, sorry. Just got a little confused, I think. Whatcha got there?”

“I want to get a better look at your side,” he says by way of explanation. “I’ll try to be gentle, tell me if it hurts too much.”

Dani nods, laying back down, and the motion makes her dizzy and her head swim. She moans quietly as she settles back against the folded up jacket.

“You okay?” Bright asks softly. His eyes are full of concern, forehead creased as he tries to pour water from the bottle over her side with his shaky right hand. She almost laughs, almost offers to do it herself, but the blood loss is starting to make itself more evident.

“Yeah, just tired. How long for the bus?”

Malcolm checks his watch. “Ten minutes. Maybe less. Hang in there, alright? I can see where it hit now. It grazed your side pretty deeply, but didn’t go in. Lots of blood, though. It’s a long cut.” Malcolm is rambling, speaking like he would at a crime scene, sharing his observations as soon as he makes them. She doesn’t mind, his voice gives her something to focus on.

“I’m going to put pressure on it now, okay? It might hurt, but I think we need to stop the bleeding.”

Dani nods, steeling herself against the pain to come. She sucks in a shocked breath when Malcolm presses the scarf against her side, exhaling a litany of curses that make Malcolm chuckle weakly. 

“That bad, huh? Is it too much?”

“No, no, it’s fine,” she assures him. The sudden, sharp spike of pain from when he’d first pressed in has faded in a steady, aching throb that is uncomfortable, but bearable.

Her eyes start to close, and while she thinks she’d be okay to sleep, she doesn’t want to worry Bright, so she talks.

“I hope JT and Gil caught that son of a bitch,” she mutters. 

“They did,” Malcolm says.

“What? How do you know?” Dani demands. 

“Gil texted me. Wanted to check on you, and update us. He’s not going to hurt anyone else.”

“And you didn’t think I’d want to know that?” Dani presses. She’s not really mad, maybe a little annoyed, but it lightens the mood, and keeps her mind from drifting back into the fog of pain and exhaustion.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I was a little preoccupied making sure you weren’t dying,” Bright counters, and though the words are sharp, there’s no heat to him, and his smile is sheepish.

“Priorities, Bright,” Dani admonishes playfully. 

He barks out a laugh at that.

“My priorities are exactly what they should be. That’s why I’m telling you now, after I’ve stopped the bleeding.”

Dani laughs, then groans.

“Sorry, sorry I shouldn’t make you laugh. Serious topics only,” Malcolm says.

“It’s okay. Keeps me distracted. ‘M not feeling so great,” she sighs. 

“They’ll be here any minute now. You’ll be alright. Barely even bleeding anymore.”

She nods once. She can hear the sirens in the distance now, and relaxes further, letting her eyes fall closed.

“Hey, Dani?” Malcolm says quietly.

She cracks an eyelid open to look up at him. “Yeah, Bright?”

“Speaking of priorities…next time you get shot, maybe don’t keep chasing the guy who shot you, ‘kay?”

“We caught him, didn’t we?” she counters.

“Yeah, we did,” Malcolm huffs. “Still, nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Didn’t know you cared, Bright.”

“Of course I do, Dani. We’re friends, remember?”

_ Friends _ , Dani thinks, smiling. They really are now, and she can’t think of anyone she’d rather have at her side in this moment than him.


End file.
